End of CR 951 extension study doesn't mean road project is dead POLL

ESTERO - Although a $2.5 million study of whether to extend County Road 951 into south Lee County from Collier has died, the future of the road project still lives.

At a recent meeting, Lee County commissioners paid the final invoice for study work done on the extension. The federal project development and environmental study began in 2002 to evaluate alignment alternatives for the road and its effects on the environment.

In 2005, road planners selected a preferred alignment through the study, placing the extension north of Immokalee Road, across the Collier-Lee county line, and connecting it to Alico Road in south Lee. After a hailstorm of environmental controversy and debate, the project was scrapped in 2010 and final invoices were submitted for payment.

The north-south extension of Collier Boulevard, previously known in Collier County as County Road 951, began as a proposal in the early 1990s with the intent to create a four-lane road on the east side of Interstate 75. It would stretch 18 miles and cost an estimated $350 million.

Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah still believes the road extension has a future.

"This absolutely does not mean that the extension is dead," Judah said of the final payment on the study. "This is just to satisfy payments. It can still be added to future plans."

"The road extension can be considered later on," Loveland said, "and I think it will be something that will be in talks for some time."

For now, the main reason for halting the study is because of money. After the project closed, the money for it was transferred to a reserve account.

Loveland said continuing with it would require costly updates to past data.

"Because of the passage of time, the Federal Highway Administration felt the data was outdated," Loveland said. "And that cost money."

After the appropriate updates, the study goes into a design phase, a step Loveland said officials aren't ready to take.

"There has been so much back and forth," Loveland said. "We are just not at that point yet."

The last stage of the study would be to get approval for federal funding. Loveland said that was never something they were looking for because the extension would have been supported by state toll road funds. Instead, they wanted to use the study to bring agencies to the table and allow for easier permitting later.

"There are many benefits to the process," Loveland said. "Getting federal funding was always just gravy. Right now, it doesn't make sense to spend the additional funds for something we don't need."

In a study, residents, business owners, environmental agencies and other interest groups review project information and participate in decision-making. The Federal Highway Administration created the process to ensure that projects receiving federal aid follow the policies and procedures outlined in the National Environmental Policy Act.

Although the study has ended, Judah continues to push for construction of the extension in the future. If and when it does happen, Loveland said he and his department will make the necessary updates to the study and redo what they need to.

"This is the nature of big construction projects," Loveland said. "Stopping and starting is expected."